United thermosetting and folding machines



Jan. 26, 1965 o. c. LINEBACK 3,157,452

UNITED THERMOSETTING AND FOLDING MACHINES Filed June 6, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 192 [n venfm 1 Oliver C. Lzhebac/c f lls-Aim Jan. 26, 1965 o. c. LINEBACK UNITED THERMOSETTING AND FOLDING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1962 Jan. 26, 1965 o. c. LINEBACK 3,157,452

. UNITED THERMOSETTING AND FOLDING MACHINES Fi led June 6, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 (mam; \taaa Jan. 26, 1965 o. c. LINEBACK UNITED THERMOSETTING AND FOLDING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 6, 1962 Jan. 26, 1965 o. c. LINEBACK UNITED THERMOSETTING AND FOLDING MACHINES 5 Sheets$heet 5 Filed. June 6, 1962 L 4 m w Nr l @O m m MS E C RI S H mm W E CS SOLAR CELL tats atet Free 3,167,452 UNKTED THERMGSETTING AND FOLDENG MACHINES Oliver C. Linehack, Nelsonville, Ohio, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, NJL, a cerporation of New Jersey Filed .lnne 6, 1962, Ser. No. 200,581 3 (Ilaims. ((11. 118-1) This invention relates to machines for cementing and folding edges of work of the type illustrated and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,720,667, granted October 18, 1955, in the name of W. E. Naugler and Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,765,768, granted October 9, 1956, in the name of H. C. Paulsen and, more particularly, to means responsive to the presence of a Work piece for automatically and instantaneously controlling the flow of cement in such a machine.

Heretofore, flow of cement in the commercial embodiment of the machines disclosed in the above referenced patents has been eifected by manipulation of a mechanical switch under the control of the operator of the machine. The most commonly employed switch has been a knee switch located on the lower portion of the frame of the machine. During the operation of the machine on a single piece of work the operator was required manually to introduce the Work piece to the machine and simultaneously close the knee switch, guide the work piece relative to the operative elements of the machine while retaining the knee switch in the closed position, and release the knee switch at the precise moment the operation was completed. Failure of the operator of the machine to close or release the knee switch in synchronism with the initial introduction or final egress, respectively, of the work piece resulted either in the application of too much or too little cement. If the knee switch was closed after a portion of the work piece had passed under the cement applying means or released before the work piece had completed its passage, the terminal portions thereof did not have cement applied thereto and, consequently, did not remain in the desired folded condition. If the knee switch was prematurely closed or belatedly released, cement was dispensed outside the area of the work piece to be folded and the operator of the machine was required to interrupt his work to perform the additional task of removing the excess cement from the work piece and the machine. The possibility that the operator would inadvertently release the switch during the operation cycle and thereby produce spasmodic distribution of cement also existed as a potential cause of inferior bonding. Thus, in commercial use of machines of the type referenced above, prior to the subject invention the proper application of cement was entirely dependent on the reflexes, attentiveness, and alertness of an operator who was required to perform a plurality of tedious and monotonous tasks simultaneously.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide means for automatically and instantaneously initiating the flow of cement when a work piece is introduced to the cement applying means and terminating the flow of cement when the operation is completed.

To this end and in accordance with a feature of the invention, there is provided, in combination with common control means such as the solenoid employed in the machines disclosed in the above reference patents, an actuating mechanism including an electrical circuit having a light responsive solar cell positioned in the Work supporting surface of the machine and disposed to be completely covered by the work piece when the work piece is introduced to the operative instrumentalities of the machine, the actuating means thereby effectuating the operation of the solenoid in response to the presence of a Work piece.

The above and other features of the invention, including novel details of construction and combination of parts will now be described in the following specification and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is an angular view of one form of machine in which the invention is embodied showing a skived leather upper, the margin of which is being folded;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the creaser foot showing a valve to control the flow of cement through it, and an actuating lever for this valve;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a portion of the intermittent-drive mechanism and valve control means;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic angular view of the intermittent drive mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of the head of the machine on an enlarged scale and showing a portion of the drive mechanism for a gear pump employed to feed cement;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the cement supplying mechanism but with a portion of one side of the heat receptacle broken away; and

FIG. 7 is an electrical diagram of the machine.

The frame of the machine comprises a hollow base 10 having a laterally extending arm 12. The arm 12 is partially surrounded by a work supporting table 14 removably mounted on .the machine. Removably secured to the upper portion of the base 10 is a cap 16 having a neck 18 which overhangs the arm 12 and terminates in a removable head Zh in which a number of operating tools of the machine are mounted. The basic structure of the machine is similar to that disclosed in the above referenced patents.

The various tools commonly employed in machines of this type are provided including a turning post 21, a creaser foot 22, and a cooperating folding finger 24 (FIG. 2) which oscillates in a path forming an acute angle with the upper surface of the arm 12 and folds the margin of the work against the adjacent surface of the creaser foot 22. The extent to which the margin of the work is deflected upwardly is determined by a gage finger 26 having a finger piece 28 and pivoted at 30 on the lower portion of the head Ztl. The work is progressively presented to the op erating tools of the machine by means of a feed mechanism driven by the main drive shaft of the machine 32 (FIGS. 3 and 4). A more detailed analysis of the above and the other operative instrumentalities common to machines of this type is delineated in the above referenced patents.

The creaser foot 22 is attached by screws 34, 34 (FIG. 2) to the lower end of a cement tube 36 (FIG. 5) having a passageway 38 connecting a melting receptacle 41) to a passageway 42 in the creaser foot 22 which enables the latter to act as a nozzle. The cement tube and creaser foot attached thereto are movably supported, as described in the above referenced patents, to permit adjustment of the operative location of the creaser foot 22.

The connecting passageway 42 in the creaser foot 22 joins the passageway 38 in the cement tube 36 to the bottom surface of the creaser foot. The creaser foot is provided with a heating unit 44 designed to maintain the temperature of the creaser foot at a desired magnitude and thereby insure the proper fluid characteristics of the cement passing therethrough. Further, within the passageway 38 in the tube 36 there is a heating unit 46 supported at its upper end in a bushing 48 threaded into the tube 36.

Adhesive material is supplied to the passageway 38 in the tube 36 from the receptacle which is rigidly secured to the tube 36. The coating material can be introduced to the receptacle 41] in the form of bulk cement or rod cement. The machine illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,720,667, referenced above, is designed to use bulk cement and the machine illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,765,768, referenced above, is designed for use with rod cement. The novel features of the subject invention, as herein delineated, can be employed in both of the machines disclosed in the above referenced patents. For purposes of illustration, the explanation to follow will be directed to the machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,765,768.

At the bottom of the receptacle 40 is a chamber containing a gear pump for forcing molten cement out of the receptacle comprising gears 52, 52 (FIG. 5) mounted on laterally extending shafts 54 and 56. The shaft 56 is provided with a driving pinion 58. It will be seen from FIG. 5 that the gear pump feeds into an outlet 60 which opens directly into the passageway 38 and hence ultimately to the creaser foot 22. The receptacle 40 also contains a power driven cylinder 61 (FIG. 6) which is attached to a gear 62 (FIG. 5) and assists in carrying the cement to the gear pump. The gear 62 meshes with the drive pinion 58 on the shaft 56. The pinion 58 meshes with an idler 64 supported on a pivot pin 66, the idler being in mesh with a pinion 68 carried by a shaft 70. The latter is provided with a skew gear 72 meshing in turn with another gear 74 on a shaft 76 extending lengthwise of the frame 12 and to which power may be delivered intermittently by a mechanism to be later described.

The receptacle 40 (FIG. 6) has an inlet 78 into which a strip or rod of thermoplastic cement A is fed by an impositive feed mechanism mounted upon a bracket 88. The cement is delivered from a reel (not shown) and carried to the inlet 78 by means of feed wheels 82 and 84 (FIGS. 1 and 6) the peripheries of which engage the rod to move it along as needed. The feed wheels are driven by means of a sprocket 88 connected by a chain 86 to a sprocket (not shown) upon the shaft 56 upon which one of the gears of the pump is mounted, this gear being in a continuous chain with others, as previously described, which are driven from the skew gear 72. The impositive or slip drive is interposed between the chain connection 86 and the feed wheels to prevent breakage of parts if the machine is started before the cement within the receptacle 40 has been melted or for other reasons.

- (FIG. 4) joined by means of links 1118 and to a lever 112 which is loose on a sleeve 114 surrounding the shaft 4t 76 and is adapted to be connected to said sleeve to give an intermittent movement thereto.

To this end, a latch 116, pivoted at 118 in a lever 120 gripping the sleeve 114, is shaped to lit in a notch 122 at the top of the lever 112 and when it snaps into that notch, under the action of a spring 124, connects the lever to the sleeve 114 to oscillate the sleeve and, therefore, drive the gear pump, cylinder 61, and cement feed mechanism. The latch 116 has a depending tail piece 126 which is normally urged away from the end of the shaft 76 by means of the interposed spring 124. The latch 116 and its tail piece 126 may, however, be rotated against the spring 124 by the depression of a rod 128 so as to lift the latch out of the notch 122 and stop the pump, cylinder 61, and feed mechanism.

The depression of the rod 128 is effected by a lever 130 (FIG. 3) pivoted on a bracket 132, whenever a solenoid 134 is deenergized by an actuating mechanism to be hereinafter described. When the solenoid is deenergized the core 136 is released and raised by a spring 138 thereby pivoting the lever 130 and depressing the rod 128. An overrunning clutch is interposed between the skew gear 72 and the sleeve 114 to drive the gear 74 in one direction only.

The creaser foot 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2) has a valve spindle 1 11i positioned within the passageway 42 to control the flow of cement from the passageways 42 and 38. The'valve spindle 1411 has a pointed lower end which coacts with a sharp edge of a shoulder 142 forming part of the passage 42. The valve spindle extends through a packing 144 compressed by a gland 146 and has a laterally slotted head 148.

Actuation of the valve is effected by a pin entering the slot and carried by an arm 151) of a lever 152 which is pivoted at 154 on the creaser foot between a vertical face formed by cutting away a portion of the creaser foot and the inner face of an upright 156 which is integral therewith. A tail 158 on the lever 152 coacts with an interposed spring 1611 which tends to move the lever 152 in a counterclockwise direction to close the valve 141 The upper portion of the lever 152 is forked and has a hook-like configuration 162 to receive a ball 164 upon the end of a flexible cable 166 extending upward through a guide tube 168 and connected to a slide 170 which is mounted for reciprocation in a casing 172 on the top of the neck 18.

By moving the slide 170 (FIG. 1) against the tension of a spring 174 the valve may be opened and to this end the slide 170 has collars 176 coacting with a block 178 pivotally attached to a lever 180. The slide 171) has a spring 182 between the endmost collar and the block. The lever has a long pivot turning in a bracket 184 and has, at the far end of the pivot as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a lever arm 186 which has a rounded end resting upon the top of the front-to-back lever 130. It will be clear that whenever the forward end of the lever is raised to release the rod 128 it also rotates the levers 186 and 180 and opens the valve 140. When the solenoid is deenergized, the forward end of the lever 130 will be lowered and, therefore, the rod 128 depressed and the valve 14 closed under the impulse of the spring 174.

The actuation of the solenoid 134 is controlled by a small light-responsive solar cell 1% which may be embedded either in the fiat surface of the gage block 21 (as shown in FIG. 2) or the adjacent surface of the table 14, said surfaces mutually defining a work supporting surface, a light source 192 and appurtenant electrical circuitry as illustrated in FIG. 7 and as hereinafter described. The solar cell 190 is positioned in a small slot cut in the work supporting surface and has a lead wire (not shown) leading to an electrical panel (not shown) containing the circuitry illustrated in FIG. 7. The solar cell and appurtenant electrical connections employ the table 14 as a grounding source. The solar cell 190 is positioned in the work supporting surface in the path followed by a work piece when such is introduced to the creaser foot and the other operative instrumentalities. The size and position of the solar cell are such that it will be completely covered by the work piece.

The light source 192 is positioned immediately above the solar cell 190 such that it casts a light on the solar cell in the absence of a work piece interposed therebetween. The light source is connected to the above-mentioned electrical panel by a lead wire encased within the tube 194. The tube 194 is mounted on the head 20 by the brackets 196 and 1518 which act as a grounding source in combination with the tube 192.

Power is supplied to the circuitry illustrated in FIG. 7 through the leads L1 and L2 connected to an A.-C. power source (not shown). The circuit is opened and closed by a switch S. The voltage supplied by the A.-C. power source is diminished by a transformer T1 to permit full wave rectification in order to supply direct current to the appurtenant transistor circuitry. Rectifiers A1 and A2 convert the alternating current into direct current and a capacitor C1 smooths out the pulsating direct current.

A control relay CR acts as a switch to control the solenoid 134. When the control relay CR is energized the contacts therein are separated and the solenoid is deenergized. When the control relay is deenergized the contacts therein are in contact and permit the solenoid to be energized.

The control relay CR is controlled by two transistors Q1 and Q2 which are in turn controlled by the solar cell 190. A voltage divider comprising the resistors R3 and R4 is employed, in combination with the solar cell 1911, to control the transistor Q2. The transistor Q2 acts as an amplifier to ensure that the control relay CR is either off or on, thereby ensuring instantaneous reaction to the introduction of a work piece and eliminating the possibility of partial or sluggish activation of the control relay CR. When the solar cell 190 has a beam of light cast thereon it generates a positive voltage which is carried into the base of the transistor Q2 and the transistor Q2 is thereby shut off. The resistors R3 and R4 of the voltage divider are of such a magnitude that when the solar cell does not generate a positive voltage the transistor Q2 will be on. The resistor R2 provides a negative voltage at the base of the transistor Q1 when the transistor Q2 is off and thereby turns Q1 on. When Q1 is on it energizes the control relay CR. When the transistor Q2 is turned on by removing the positive voltage supplied into the base thereof by the solar cell, the resistor R2 is shorted out and the negative voltage removed from the base of the transistor Q1. The resistor R1 and rectifier A3 are used to bias the transistor Q1. When the negative voltage is removed from the transistor Q1 it is turned off and, thus, the control relay is deenergized and the solenoid energized. The rectifier A4 protects the relay coil CR when the transistor Q1 is turned off by short circuiting the counter When the machine is to be used, assuming that a cement rod has been properly located in position and the main power source activated, the switch S is closed to energize the circuit controlling the solenoid 134. The light source will initially cast a beam of light upon the solar cell and thereby retain the transistor Q2 in the off position. Consequently, the transistor Q1 will be on, the control relay CR will be energized and the solenoid 134 deenergized. As described above, when the solenoid is deenergized the lever 130 depresses the rod 128 thereby releasing the connection between the driving mechanism and the skew gear 72 and permitting the spring 174 to retain the valve 140 in a closed position.

When a work piece is introduced to the operative instrumentalities of the machine it completely covers the solar cell 190 and interrupts the light beam from the light source 192. The transistor Q2 is instantaneously turned on when the light beam is interrupted and the transistor Q1 is turned off. Accordingly, the relay coil CR is deenergized and the solenoid 134 instantaneously energized. The energized solenoid pivots the lever thereby raisingthe forward end thereof. When the forward end of the lever is raised, the valve is opened and the rod 128 released to permit engagement of the latch 116 in the notch 122 thereby causing the gear pump, cylinder 61, and feed mechanism to be actuated. Thus, the presence of a work piece automatically and instantaneously actuates means which initiate and control the flow of cement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a folding machine having a work supporting surface and operative instrumentalities common to folding machines, a cement handling apparatus comprising a heated hollow receptacle, means providing a passageway through which cement may be extruded upon a work piece, pump means for forcing molten cement out of said receptacle and into said passageway, valve means located within said passageway to control the introduction of cement to the work, a solenoid for controlling said pump means and valve means, and actuating means for controlling said solenoid, said actuating means comprising a light responsive solar cell embedded in said work supporting surface in position to be completely covered by a work piece when such is introduced to said operative instrumentalities, a light source located above said solar cell, and electrical circuitry which ensures instantaneous activation of said solenoid in response to the presence of a work piece.

2. In a folding machine having a work supporting surface and a creaser foot, a cement handling apparatus comprising a heated hollow receptacle, means providing a first passageway joining said receptacle and the creaser foot, said creaser foot having means providing a passageway therein through which cement may be extruded upon a work piece, pump means for forcing molten cement out of said receptacle and into said first passageway, valve means located within said creaser foot passageway to control the introduction of cement to the work, a solenoid for controlling said pump means and valve means, and actuating means for controlling said solenoid, said actuating means comprising a light responsive solar cell positioned in said work supporting surface in the path followed by a work piece to be operated upon whereby said solar cell is completely covered thereby, a light source located above said solar cell to cast a light beam thereon in the absence of a work piece disposed therebetween, and electrical circuitry which ensures instantaneous activation of said solenoid in response to the coverage of said solar cell by said work piece.

3. In a folding machine having a work supporting surface and a creaser foot, a cement handling apparatus comprising a heated hollow receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, drive means within said receptacle to carry thermoplastic cement from said inlet to said outlet, a feed mechanism for feeding a rod of solid thermoplastic cement to said inlet, means providing a first passageway joining said receptacle and the creaser foot, said creaser foot having means providing a passageway therein through which cement may be extruded upon a work piece, pump means for forcing molten cement out of said receptacle and into said first passageway, valve means located within said creaser foot passageway to control the introduction of cement to the work, a solenoid for controlling said drive means, feed mechanism, pump means and valve means, and actuating means for controlling said solenoid, said actuating means comprising a light responsive solar cell positioned in said work supporting surface in the path followed by a work piece to be operated on whereby said solar cell is completely covered thereby, a light source located above said work table and disposed to cast a light beam on said solar cell in the absence of a work piece covering said solar cell, and a control circuit for instantaneously activating said solenoid in response to the coverage of said solar cell by said Work piece.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Magee 1181 Naugler l18-410 X Paulsen 118410 Clark 1181 X 10 Bauer 118-1 Schaefer 1255 Early et. a1 ll82 X References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS Erbe.

Booty ef al. Ives.

Dixon.

I ester. Naugler. McGahan. Paulsen. Paulsen.

RICHARD D. NEVIUS, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A FOLDING MACHINE HAVING A WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE AND OPERATIVE INSTRUMENTALITIES COMMON TO FOLDING MACHINES, A CEMENT HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HEATED HOLLOW RECEPTACLE, MEANS PROVIDING A PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH CEMENT MAY BE EXTRUDED UPON A WORK PIECE, PUMP MEANS FOR FORCING MOLTEN CEMENT OUT OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY, VALVE MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAID PASSAGEWAY TO CONTROL THE INTRODUCTION OF CEMENT TO THE WORK, A SOLENOID FOR CONTROLLING SAID PUMP MEANS AND VALVE MEANS, AND ACTUATING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID SOLENOID, SAID ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A LIGHT RESPONSIVE SOLAR CELL EMBEDDED IN SAID WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE IN POSITION TO BE COMPLETELY COVERED BY A WORK PIECE WHEN SUCH IS INTRODUCED TO SAID OPERATIVE INSTRUMENTALITIES, A LIGHT SOURCE LOCATED ABOVE SAID SOLAR CELL, AND ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY WHICH ENSURES INSTANTANEOUS ACTIVATION OF SAID SOLENOID IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENCE OF A WORK PIECE. 